By Mike Grant

February 16, 2019 - In Kentucky, the annual coal meeting by the Daviess County Commissioners received an unexpected addition when White Stallion Energy announced plans to open the Captain Daviess Mine in far southeastern Daviess County. The mine is one that has been in the works for several years but now appears about ready to start.

"It was Vigo Coal and now it's White Stallion," said Commissioner Michael Taylor. "They came to us three or four years ago and asked to reopen that mine. It got put on a back burner. Now, it looks like by the end of the year, there will be another open pit operating in our community."

White Stallion Energy may be a new name in the coal business in Daviess County but the owner has an extensive background in mining in southern Indiana.

"Vigo Coal was bought out by White Stallion Energy three years ago," said Alex Messmoor with White Stallion. "The principal owner is Steve Chancellor who was the former owner of Black Beauty Coal. White Stallion also bought out Solar Sources (the other mine operator in Daviess County). The company now operates six active mines in Indiana and we are looking to expand and get more sales. That has generated rumor and we do anticipate and hope to open the Captain Daviess Mine this year."

The proposed mine is located on the Hawthorn property in southeastern Daviess County in the area of CR 900 S. and Glendale.

"It's an area that was previously mined back in the '80s," said Messmoor. "About three to four million tons are left in that area and that's what we intend to recover."

Because the mine has been in the planning stage for so long, the company has just about everything ready to start operations. "We have all of the necessary state and federal permits," said Messmoor. "We'll get the local agreements in place and then we will start mining coal."

The local permits will involve which roads are used to haul the coal out. Right now, the company doesn't know which roads it will use because they don't know who is going to buy the coal.

"We hope to expand sales from existing contracts and that will open up that opportunity," said Messmoor. "We are aware that road closures don't happen overnight. If there will be haulage routes, they will have to be worked out. We will work with (Daviess County Highway Supervisor) Phil (Cornelius) and the commissioners well in advance whether it is hauling coal or bringing the equipment in."

The company says that the mine won't re-open right away but it should have people working there yet this year.

"We anticipate opening up this year," said Messmoor. "Certainly not in the next couple of months. We don't have the framework in place to do that. At the earliest, I'd say we are looking at summer."

The opening will also mean new jobs although the company is unsure how many.

"That's to be determined," said Messmoor. "I'd say around 60 depending on what the coal sales from the mine would be. We have scenarios where we would mine anywhere from 260,000 to 1 million tons per year. Whatever that rate would be would determine how many people there would be."

The re-opening of the pit is good news for Daviess County overall. To start with, it will increase the tax base.

"I think it is great to have another active mine here and put people to work," said Taylor.